Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FAQ ~ General Information
Immediately call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Then contact us to advise your child’s pediatrician. Be sure to provide as many specific facts as possible so that your pediatrician can better assist your child’s urgent medical needs.
You can take your child to:
Southbay Children’s After Hours Clinic
800 Pollard Road, Suite B205
Los Gatos, CA
(408) 370.0110
Feel free to contact our office anytime during office hours. Our knowledgeable nurses are experienced and trained to respond to your concerns. If your child’s condition is more complicated and you need to speak directly with your child’s pediatrician, your call will be returned at their earliest opportunity.
Call the office number at (408) 866-7830. We have an answering service that will page your child’s pediatrician until 10 p.m. Your pediatrician will typically return your call within 30 minutes.
Between 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., we have a pediatric advice nurse who is available to respond to your questions and will contact your child’s pediatrician if s/he determines there’s an emergency.
We are open:
Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Sundays: Closed
On three-day holiday weekends, we are open on Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
We are closed on:
New Year’s Day
July 4th
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Call our office at (408) 866-7830 to make sure that we will still be able to accommodate you. Patients who arrive more than 15 minutes late may be rescheduled.
There is no charge for missed appointments. If you miss an appointment, our office will contact you to reschedule.
All appointments must be scheduled. This includes sick and emergency visits. Sick visits can be scheduled for same-day care. Please be sure to use the designated entrance and waiting room for your sick child.
Please allow for one business day to return your completed forms. Of course, if there’s an emergency, please advise our staff. If you would like it faxed to you, kindly provide a fax number at the time of your request. Our fax number is: (408) 866-8103
FAQ ~ Pediatric Information
We have set up two waiting rooms with separate entrances. The entrance on the left is for children who are sick; and the entrance on the right is for children who are not sick or contagious.
There is no set age. We are delighted to continue caring for patients who have reached adulthood. The choice to change physicians is a personal decision and entirely up to you. Women attaining the age of 21 are advised to begin seeing a gynecologist on a yearly basis.
Usually a cold occurs due to a viral infection. There are more than 250 viruses that can cause a cold!!!! Fortunately most of them cause a very minor infection that can even go unnoticed at times. Children, however, more than adults, often catch a cold with severe runny nose, stuffy nose and sometimes a fever.
Try a steam inhalation in the bathroom. Run a hot shower until the bathroom fogs up with steam. Have your child stay in the steamy bathroom for 3-4 minutes. This will usually relieve the stuffiness. Running a cool mist vaporizer in your child’s bedroom also helps. Additionally, nasal saline 2-3 times a day can also provide relief.
Fever is usually adequately treated with Acetaminophen. Please refer to dosing chart.
Fever with a cold starts almost immediately. It usually resolves in 2-4 days. If it lasts for more than 4 days, or starts 5-6 days after the cold symptoms appear, contact our office to be seen by your physician.
Between 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., we have a pediatric advice nurse who is available to respond to your questions and will contact your child’s pediatrician if s/he determines there’s an emergency.
All the physicians in the practice like to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines to vaccinate our patients. Please refer to the vaccine schedule document.
We will provide you with more information about each vaccine at the time of the visit. Another great resource to look up vaccine preventable diseases and the respective vaccine is the Centers For Disease Control (CDC).
The standard immunization schedule can be found by clicking here.
FAQ ~ Insurance Information
Yes. We are covered by most major medical insurers such as: Aetna PPO and HMO, Blue Cross PPO and HMO, Blue Shield PPO and HMO, Cigna PPO and HMO, Health NET PPO and HMO, United PPO and HMO, Santa Clara County Independent Physician’s Association (SCCIPA).
Yes. We accept some patients, on a case-by-case basis, who are on Medi-Cal, Blue Cross Medi-Cal, Blue Cross Health Families, Santa Clara Family Health Plan, and Valley Health Plan.
No, we do not use a billing service. We bill insurance companies from our own office. Monthly statements are sent from our office for deductible and co-insurance charges.
FAQ ~ Tele-Health Pediatric Visits
Tele-Health appointments are virtual pediatric visits via videoconferencing with your pediatrician at Los Gatos Pediatric. Your child can receive medical care, and medical prescriptions all from the comfort of your own home.
When you call our office to request Tele-Health services, our receptionist will screen to make sure that Tele-Health services are appropriate for your child’s medical needs. If Tele-Health is appropriate, then an appointment will be set via videoconference.
We can use Zoom, Face Time and Doximity.
- Make sure you are located in a place with good Wi-Fi reception so that you have the best video and audio connection with your pediatrician.
- Run a test on your system prior to your visit.
- Be on time for your appointment.
- Provide as much information as possible regarding your child’s condition prior to the Tele-Health visit.
HIPAA is a law that protects the privacy of your medical records and personal health information. Your telehealth interactions are also secure, and only authorized users can access your telehealth sessions.
To cancel or change the time of the appointment, simply call our office. Please contact our office at least 2 hours to cancel.
For most routine situations, Tele-Health provides a quick, efficient and safe way to provide pediatric care.
In some situations, it will not be appropriate to use Tele-Health services to care for your child and we will request that you come to the office. For example, if your child is suffering from ear pain, we may not be able to make an accurate diagnosis without seeing the patient in-person.
In a medical emergency, however, Call 911, seek care at your local urgent care facility or hospital emergency department.